Notes on an Inauguration you aren’t really a part of

Notes on an Inauguration you aren’t really a part of

Washington DC is going fucking crazy right now. Even in the suburban mall that my company’s building sits on top of, all the stores are plastered with the visage of our great savior and second coming messiah or whatever they are calling President Elect Barack Obama these days. If I see one more ghetto fabulous air brushed t-shirt of his face, it will be too soon.

I admit it, in a moment of what I consider now, great personal weakness, I voted for the man. I was won over easily in regards to his views on abortion and governments role. What he said, if I may paraphrase, was that government is not here to make laws in regard to moral ideology. This is my basic, central argument against the illegality of abortion. Sorry to disappoint, but no my views on this are not rooted in any kind of “her body, her choice” kind of cheer leading. No, the role of government is municipal essentially. I want my schools and libraries funded, my trash picked up, my roads paved, some nice parks and a couple of days off every year. While I do personally think that all people have the right to chose what they do with their bodies, and yes it is a woman’s body and there for her deal, that mentality of mine does not directly inform my ideas about the role of our government and what laws should do for us. The government is not really nor should it be interested in that nonsense. So I thought, that in good conscience I could vote, get on the “Change” and “Hope” bandwagons and feel good about myself.

Then this whole Rick Warren thing happened. To say my mild bemusement at myself didn’t turn into something unholy wretched is an understatement. And really, I shouldn’t be surprised. Obama is after all a man of god and in the throes of the American mainstream. But for me, this really undermines the whole power of the moment where America stood up for a second for change. In all sincerity, the President is our figure head, and the fact that we finally elected someone who is not male and white is a pretty fucking big deal. No matter what you feel about politics or any of this shit, electing this dude makes America look a lot better than it have in a long long time.

But Rick Warren, like many that attend such mega churches as he resides over, doesn’t believe that our nations wonderful gay people should be allowed to enter into a simple, civic union called Marriage. See the problem is again, in regards to civil liberties here. I don’t care if Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews or whatever want to be ignorant, bigoted assholes in their communities and not hold marriage services or recognize gay marriage in their walls. Who gives a shit what they think. I don’t care if they do want to hold these ceremonies and be all “progressive” and accepting and all the other crap religion generally says they are for and then significantly undermines it all with terrible action and speech.

The institution of marriage is not, by any means a religious one. It has absolutely nothing to do with god and it certainly existed before many of these holy books were scribbled out trying to dictate life on this planet. The institution of marriage is a civil, legal union that in all actuality has very little to do even with love. Any dick fucks can get married. I don’t believe in god, ascribe to any faith, have any spiritual beliefs at all, but I can walk into a courthouse at anytime and get married to any willing woman. That doesn’t sound particularly spiritual, holy or godly to me.

So if Atheists can marry, why can’t GAYS? We’ve obviously just proven that marriage has nothing to do with god and family right here, right now. The protections offered to married couples under the laws of the United States also have nothing to do with love and god. They are about maintaining property and having someone take care of your legal shit should the mortal coil leave your body. It is unconscionable that we don’t offer this basic civil right to people just because they share the same sex organs. Who we find to actually look over us and take care of our shit is inconsequential in regards of religious beliefs. There isn’t even a logical argument against the prevention of Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual and Transgendered people getting civic, legal marriage certificates. It is, without argument, unconstitutional.

For me, Rick Warren is the anti-Hope (and lets not get me started on the poor use of the words Hope and Change). He drained all the hope out of me, and believe me, there wasn’t much to begin with. Sure our next PREZ says he’s might overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and yes maybe this vibe will create some positive culture and expression and shit might get done on that mega-uber-corporate like bureaucracy that leads to some good things happening in people’s lives. But for me, I just don’t feel that change is coming, that there is much to hope for. If we validate shit bagging thieves like Rick Warren (please lets not get me started on mega churches) to force their poison into this new national lexicon, well then we haven’t learned anything, and this great moment in history that even I am clinging onto right now is a big fat fuck up.

So yes, I am gonna be that curmudgeon today. I’m gonna snub my nose at this blatant hypocrisy. I am gonna shit in your bowl of Wheaties, piss on your lawn and be THAT GUY with the t-shirt of the band he’s going to rock out to in the club. You don’t have to like it. But please know that I am deeply disappointed that I still have to put up with this insane dialog about gay marriage. It hurts my heart very very deeply.

I just want to conclude now by saying fuck you California for the whole prop 8 thing. I want to remind everyone that innocent people in Palatine are systematically being destroyed by another government who seems to poses very bad tactical information in regards to their enemy to the point that I am beginning to believe that they aren’t going after Hamas at all but just killing anyone that gets in their way. And finally don’t let me lead by example and start hiding in your room, ranting in front of a glowing scream while a 19 year old Conor Oberst whines at you. Do something positive. Prove me wrong. Change the world. I believe in you.